What’s in a name?
You may be wondering how I came up with the name Mary Joel. Well, it’s quite simple. I was missing my parents and reminiscing about the little quality time that we actually spent together. My mum gave birth to me when she was just 16 years old. I was quite shocked when I found this out, years after her death. It got me thinking about how much my siblings and I were loved and about the sacrifices my parents made to give us a better life than they had.
Traditionally, Yoruba parents name their children and invite other close friends and relatives to provide a name too. The names usually have meaning and may reflect the circumstances surrounding a child’s birth, family, background, or a prayer. If a child is christened, they may also be given one or two Christian names. Mary and Joel were my parents’ Christian names. Paula is my name. I can’t tell you why they used their Christian names when they lived in the UK, but I intentionally chose to use mine because I was so fed up with the way people deliberately mispronounced or made a fuss over the name that my parents called me at home, ‘Bolanle’.
Bolanle pronounced [boh-lan-leh] is a unisex name and means a child was born into a wealthy home. I am proud of this name and it hurts when people deliberately mispronounce it. To this today, I struggle to understand how some people willingly learn to speak several languages, including Latin, German, and Mandarin, but they will not make an effort to even try to say an unusual name properly. I too find some names difficult to pronounce at times, but I have found the best way around this is to be respectful, make a genuine effort, and politely ask for help if you are unsure.
Our business name had to be meaningful, easy to pronounce and have a nice ring to it. Mary and Joel are both biblical names. I also like the fact that the name of our business conveys something entirely different from what one would normally expect – which is exactly what Mary Joel is about. Sometimes, it will simply not do to judge a book by its cover!
What do I think about blind recruitment? Personally, I want you to know I am black before you see me. I want to spare you, and myself, the trouble of potentially finding out later that because I do not have blue or green eyes my face may not fit the culture of an organisation. I do appreciate the benefits of providing everyone with an equal opportunity to be interviewed regardless of race, gender, age, background, etc. But at the same time, I recognise that ignoring these qualities may not allow me to highlight something which might be equally important to me, such as I was the first to go to university in my family.
What happens if you are given a security pass, a desk, and a PC, only to discover that your workplace culture is not conducive to you feeling happy and productive there? You may not be made to feel welcome, but you might now have taken on the financial burden of a mortgage. You might feel trapped, alone, and ashamed to tell your family that you do not feel good enough. A situation like this may mean you are unable to perform at your best, and you might ultimately fail to reach your potential. Sometimes a job opportunity that could have been so positive can ends in tears.
If you are taking on staff and decide to go down the route of blind recruitment, please ensure that you are not just copying what another organisation has done. Check that your procedures are appropriate for the culture of your organisation, that you have accountability from top-down and bottom-up, and measure the difference that you are hoping to achieve; for example, by interviewing your new recruits randomly, at different moments in time, and ensuring the wellbeing of all employees.